No matter how much ‘Melo protests, he still couldn’t quite bring himself to offer Lin much praise when asked about his return to New York as a core member of the Brooklyn Nets. Via Marc Berman of the New York Post:

“He is the face of their franchise – believe it or not,’’ Anthony said after Friday’s practice. “He came up, they paid him. Now the ball is in his hands. Now he’s one of the franchise players over there. I don’t know what you want me to say about that. I’m happy for him, excited for him to see how it’s going to turn out over there.”

If you’re detecting a bit of ambivalence his tone, then you’re not alone. With Lin back in the Big Apple playing for the cross-town Nets, it’s tempting to try and paint this as a budding rivalry, but with the way Brooklyn’s roster is currently assembled, it’s difficult to imagine them being rivals with anyone.